


Undefined

by redbluezero



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Childhood, Family, Gen, One Shot, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Shirogane Naoto, Trans Shirogane Naoto, but hes still an egg rn, which is the focus of the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28444488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redbluezero/pseuds/redbluezero
Summary: With the passing of Naoto's parents, Yakushiji adjusts to caring for a child he doesn't quite understand yet loves all the same.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Undefined

**Author's Note:**

> Though Naoto is not out to himself or others at this moment in time, dialogue still refers to him with he/him pronouns. This is because gendered third person pronouns are not commonly used in the language the characters are speaking, so I'm filling the gaps in a way that doesn't misgender him.

“Shirogane-sama, do I have your permission to take Naoto-sama to the park?”

The old man looked up from his desk and turned to face his secretary. The stack of papers in his hands flopped backward as he extended a finger to nudge down his reading glasses. With a monotonous voice, he replied,

“Why do you ask? I don’t mind, though I would like to know the reason.”

Yakushiji cleared his throat and braced himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in what he was doing or that he had ill intentions, it was just… the slightest bit nerve wracking. The child wasn’t even his, yet he was prying into family matters. Would making the suggestion be considered improper? He hoped not.

“Kids his age ought to play together, don’t you think? I thought that, since he’s having trouble making friends at school, I should take him on his day off,” Yakushiji explained, “Maybe he’ll find it easier to make friends outside of the classroom.” He could feel his polarized lenses slowly slipping down his nose bridge, sliding off due to the sweat accumulating on his face.

“In that case, go ahead,” the elder Shirogane said plainly, “That is, if you can get him out of the house. Naoto’s been glued to Osamu's old Famicom these days, and you know how he gets when we try to interrupt his playtime.” Yakushiji groaned at that, recalling the feeling of tiny fists whacking his shins after he’d innocently picked up a toy car that was in the way. On second thought, maybe he’d stick to being a secretary.

“I wonder if Osamu-sama accidentally dropped Naoto-sama on his head when he was an infant…” Yakushiji muttered to himself.

“Don’t speak ill of the dead, Yakushiji-san,” the older man retorted, “Naoto’s a good kid, he’s just... eccentric, is all.” He let out an exasperated sigh at the end, as if to imply that he’d also faced resistance upon interfering with the child’s pastimes. It became increasingly more clear to Yakushiji that he needed to carry out his plan.

“He’s started using that word a lot more these days, thanks to you,” he commented, “I’ll find a way to get Naoto-sama to cooperate.” He took in a deep breath, smoothened out his suit jacket, and walked off. As he left, his employer gave him a small thumbs-up. Whatever luck that was supposed to send, he’d need it.

Yakushiji began his brainstorming as he walked through the long halls of the Shirogane Estate. For once, he was glad that the building extended far and wide. It was a quaint and traditional house, yet had furniture that was more common to Europe. When he’d asked about it, he was told that the first Shirogane detective was simply a fan of Western designs and spent most of his earnings on lavish overseas items.

_ Wait, that’s it! _

Yakushiji made his way into the main room, where the Shirogane family kept a small CRT television. Soon, the Famicom and its disk system came into view. From there, he tracked the controller cable with his eyes and saw none other than Naoto on the other end of it.

The child, wearing a blue cap too big for him, stared at the screen with wide eyes. He was close enough to it that the blue light made his face glow. He pressed the A button every once in a while, to keep the text moving and story going, but for the most part sat still.

“Naoto-sama.”

No answer. Naoto almost seemed entranced.

“Naoto-sama, can you even read that? How many kanji have they taught you in class so far? I don’t remember how grade school works, it’s been a while.”

That caught his attention.

“The Famicom doesn’t have enough memory to store kanji characters, so everything’s in hiragana. Besides, I’m ahead of my class when it comes to reading,” Naoto replied matter-of-factly. He didn’t look the man in the eyes as he said it, which would’ve made him look indifferent if not for the proud grin on his face.

“As expected of the fifth generation Shirogane detective,” Yakushiji exclaimed. He figured opening with praise would ease the child’s reaction. “Speaking of school, do you play with any other kids there?”

“Not really,” Naoto said bluntly.

“Would you like to?”

“Not really,” he repeated.

Yakushiji sighed. Even though he’d anticipated a cold response, he still found it irritating. It was time to put his plan in motion. He prayed it’d work.

“All kids need friends, Naoto-sama. Why don’t I take you to the park tomorrow so you can make some? Lots of kids play around there,” Yakushiji suggested in a kind voice. He knew that he couldn’t be too pushy with the child, otherwise he’d be scared off.

“No, thank you,” Naoto reiterated. He kept on playing— more like reading— his game and showed no signs of stopping.

“How about we make a compromise? If you agree to come with me to the park on Sundays, I’ll buy you that  _ Phoenix Ranger Featherman _ action figure set you wanted. You’ll get one ranger for each day you give it a shot,” Yakushiji offered. He was proud of his idea to incentivize going out; he’d come up with it while thinking about the first Shirogane detective. That man had worked in order to get money for foreign goods, so maybe Naoto would come out of his shell if it meant getting new toys.

“Deal!” the child exclaimed, no longer being able to contain his joy. Yakushiji couldn’t help but smile as well, patting him on the head and pushing the cap down over his eyes. Naoto giggled at that; when he wore his heart on his sleeve, he really did look like his father.

“Can you pause that? The weather’s perfect for going outside right now,” Yakushiji asked. He fixed the cap and pulled away his hand.

“No, but I think I’m almost done with this part,” Naoto replied, going back to fixating on his game. His small hands tightened their grip on the controller again, as if it was his greatest treasure.

“Okay, I’ll wait,” Yakushiji complied. He sat down next to the child and watched the television screen to pass the time. It was mostly blocks of text, with a choice selection every once in a while. He looked to the box that lay next to the Famicom and read its title.

_ Detective Jinguuji Saburou: A Dangerous Duo Part 1 _

No wonder Naoto liked it. It looked to be an interactive detective novel. It was definitely more enthralling than reading the old Kindaichi books they had stored in the library, anyway.

“Okay, I’m done,” Naoto announced. He pressed “No” when the game asked him if he wanted to continue, turned off the system, and got up. He stared at Yakushiji, waiting for the next command.

“Go to the foyer and put on your shoes,” he said as he eased himself up off of the floor. Naoto turned on his heel and scurried over to the foyer, getting way ahead of Yakushiji. He followed the child over at a slower pace, having forgotten that children were quite energetic even if they spent the whole day in front of the television, though he was not amused by what he saw when he finally caught up.

“Must you wear those?”

Naoto stomped his sneakers on the ground. His left shoe lit up and flashed colors while the other remained dim. With a quiet “uh oh”, he leaned down and adjusted the metal wire carefully. He stomped the right shoe again and, finally, it glowed brightly as well.

“Don’t you think the other kids will make fun of your… light up sneakers, you called them?” Yakushiji asked as nicely as he could. Naoto, who’d finished strapping on the velcro part of the shoes, looked up at him with a knitted brow.

“What’s there to make fun of? This is my genius creation,” he replied, baffled by the question. He wasn’t lying; the elder Shirogane had refused to buy light up sneakers when they went to the store, saying “they contain mercury” and “that’s how the emperor died”, so Naoto attached little LEDs to a wire and stuck it onto the plain sneakers he’d ended up getting. He insisted on wearing them on his first day of school… and every day after that.

“Alright, alright,” Yakushiji caved. He then opened the door with one hand and extended the other to the child. Naoto took it and held on tightly. With the click of the lock, the two stepped outside and began to stroll through the barren streets of Kaminowari.

Since it was mid-May, the weather was getting warmer. It wasn’t unbearable, though, as the abundant trees gave shade and the occasional breeze flew by them. Naoto was silent as they walked, his gaze pointed downward at his flickering shoes.

“Um… Tell me, Naoto-sama, what was that game you were playing about?” Yakushiji asked, hoping to strike a conversation. He figured the child could use the practice, since he was going to be interacting with other kids. He was acutely unaware of what he’d just set off.

“Oh! The Detective Jinguuji Saburou series is about a detective who solves all sorts of mysteries! In the first game, some lady dies but it turns out that she had a weak heart and her doctor killed her! Ah, wait, that’s a spoiler,” Naoto rambled at a fast pace, though he slowed when he realized his error. He glanced away guiltily, but inevitably continued, “Uh, well, the game I’m playing right now is about a race car crash I think, except the person who crashed and the body found at the scene are two different people!” He swung around his arm as he talked, dragging Yakushiji with him.

“That sounds really fun, do the other kids at school play that?” he said softly, humoring the child. Naoto, however, vehemently shook his head.

“The game came out, um…” He paused and counted on his fingers. “Fourteen years ago, I think. Too old for them. I once asked my classmate, Konishi-kun, if he played it, but he just looked at me weird and kept playing with the stuffed animal he brought.”

“Ahaha, I see…” Yakushiji laughed dryly, “But you have other hobbies, right? Like making those gadgets, climbing trees and catching bugs, reading Kindaichi novels, and, of course, watching  _ Phoenix Ranger Featherman. _ Say, do any of your classmates watch that show?”

“Yeah, but Tatsumi-kun’s weird. He plays with girly things even though he’s a boy,” Naoto huffed, “Besides, I’m really only into Detective Jinguuji Saburou right now.” He said it so plainly that Yakushiji was tempted to retort with “you’re a girl who plays with boy things”, but part of him wasn’t so sure of that anymore.

Even at his parents’ funeral, Naoto had refused to dress up nicely. He’d fussed about his clothing until he was reduced to a blubbering mess. The dress was too tight, the shoes were too cinched, everything was uncomfortable. In the end, his grandfather gave up and let him wear a black suit jacket far too big for him. That incident was the first time things clicked in Yakushiji’s head.

Naoto’s behavior hadn’t changed since then. In fact, it only seemed to intensify as he grew older. Incidents similar to that of the funeral occurred more and more, though Yakushiji tried his best to work with Naoto. From his preferred attire and hobbies to his personal pronoun and general demeanor, everything about him screamed “boy”. Osamu had left behind a daughter but, more and more, Yakushiji was starting to believe that he was raising a son.

Maybe, deep down, he thought that having Naoto spend time around his peers instead of with two grown men would get him to act more girly. But, even deeper down, Yakushiji knew that was impossible. So, in the end, his insistence on getting Naoto to make friends was probably out of concern for the child. He just wanted him to be happy, after all.

_ Who am I, his dad?  _ Yakushiji asked himself sarcastically. From behind his polarized lenses, he rolled his eyes. What a foolish conjecture.

Then again, at that point, that’s who he felt like.

“Yakushiji-san, I’m tired. Carry me, please,” Naoto suddenly called in a small voice. He tugged the man’s hand down, jerking him from his thoughts.

“Hm?” Yakushiji looked toward the source of the pulling, processed the request, and sighed. “You’re quite big now, Naoto-sama, but I’ll try.” He crouched down, shifting to make sure his back was facing the child. Naoto crawled on, limb by limb, until Yakushiji finally grabbed his legs and stood upright.

“This is what happens when you lounge around all day. You’re animated at first but tucker out quickly,” he grunted, “Now I’m  _ really _ glad to be getting you out of the house.” He continued along the barely paved path, the extra weight only slowing him down a little. It was Naoto’s little arms, which squeezed a bit too tightly around his neck, that bothered him.

“Naoto-sama, I’m afraid I might choke if you hold on that hard,” Yakushiji wheezed. With some difficulty, he took a deep breath of the spring air to keep himself going. Naoto kicked his right leg forward in annoyance.

“But I don’t want to fall,” he whimpered. He was quiet but, since his face was right by the man’s ear, Yakushiji heard the unease in his voice loud and clear.

“I’m not going to drop you,” he reassured, “You are aware that, if I did, Shirogane-sama would kill me, right?” He chuckled, hoping that Naoto would follow suit. He didn’t, instead choosing to let out a small whine, though he did unclasp his hands. Nervously, he allowed his arms to drape over Yakushiji’s shoulders.

“Fine,” Naoto grumbled, “I wouldn’t want Grampa to kill you because then there won’t be anybody left to carry me.” He playfully headbutted the crook of Yakushiji’s neck.

“That’s your biggest concern?” he chastised. He knew that Naoto could be blunt with his words, he’d gotten used to that, but it still hurt a little. The child, however, started to actually lean into him then.

“Well, no, but… um… Yakushiji-san, you  _ are _ going to be my secretary when I grow up, right?” Naoto stuttered. Yakushiji let out a short hum, since he couldn’t nod with the child so close.

“Of course. I’ve served both your grandfather and your father, so it only makes sense that I serve you as well,” he affirmed. He paused, thinking carefully about his words, before finishing, “I’m not going anywhere, Naoto-sama.”

“Do you promise?” the child asked with a strained voice. His insecurity caught Yakushiji off guard. Though Naoto rarely showed it, he wouldn’t dare, the death of his parents weighed heavily on his mind. So, Yakushiji gave him security; he readjusted his position on his back and, holding him close, declared,

“I promise. Whether it’s to carry you to the park or to coach you in life, I'll be there for you. I can’t say that I’ll live up to your father, but… I’m trying, Naoto-sama.” He gazed up at the blue sky above, strips of white clouds passing by, and silently paid respects to the late detective.

_ He’s in good hands, Osamu-sama. _

“Understood,” Naoto muttered happily. He smiled widely, still nuzzled up to the man’s neck, so Yakushiji did as well. He breezed through the final stretch of the walk, the little child on his back feeling as light as a feather, and soon found himself in the main streets of Kaminowari.

Down the block was a small toy store run by one of the local families. Since they ordered popular products, the store was beloved by the town's children. They would hang around nearby on restock day, waiting for the Inaba Express truck to come by, then cheer as the figures from their favorite shows were brought into the store.

“Alright, Naoto-sama, we’re here,” Yakushiji announced, “I need to let you off now.” Once he heard the child’s quiet hum of affirmation, he crouched down. Naoto slowly stepped off of Yakushiji, grabbing his arms for balance, and hopped onto the ground. Without needing to be prompted, he took the man’s hand again.

“I don’t want to get the wrong set, so could you come in with me?” Yakushiji asked as he pushed open the door. Naoto nodded and the two of them stepped into the small store. He immediately made a beeline for the second to last aisle on the left side of the store, where all the action figures were kept.

“Um… It’s this one, correct?” Yakushiji asked, picking up a box that contained a figure of a superhero with silver armor and red accents. He thought it looked familiar, so he gave it a shot. However, the death glare he was met with sent a shiver down his spine.

“No, Yakushiji-san, that’s Zephyrman! That show is a total ripoff of  _ Phoenix Ranger Featherman, _ it’s unbelievable!” Naoto ranted. He balled up his fists and frowned. Yakushiji gulped hard, feeling guilty to have slipped up with something so important. It was trivial in the grand scheme of things, sure, but it was of utmost importance to the young Naoto at the moment. That counted for something.

“My sincerest apologies, Naoto-sama…” Yakushiji mumbled as he put back the package. He looked over at Naoto, who let out an aloof huff before reaching for a complete  _ Phoenix Ranger Featherman _ toy set. It was on one of the higher shelves, so he had to stand on his tiptoes to grab it. As soon as it was in his hands, he stepped back onto his heels and held it out.

“I’ll be sure to remember the name  _ Phoenix Ranger Featherman  _ from now on,” Yakushiji said as he took the box. He flipped it around a few times, scrutinized the multicolored superhero team, and nodded firmly. He then walked over to the checkout counter, Naoto trailing closely behind him like a duckling.

“Well, if it isn’t Yakushiji-san! You rarely show yourselves around town, people are starting to worry. How’s Shirogane-san?” the clerk, Mrs. Shigeta, exclaimed as the two of them approached. She was an older woman, closer in age to Naoto’s grandfather than to Yakushiji, but she was sprightly. She clapped her hands together in delight upon seeing the familiar faces.

“He is well, thank you for asking,” Yakushiji replied courteously as he pulled out his wallet with his free hand. He braced himself for the dent the toy set was going to make in it, though it wasn’t like he minded spoiling Naoto.

“And how are  _ you _ doing, Naoto-chan?” Mrs. Shigeta asked. She leaned over the counter to look down at the child, most likely hoping to make small talk as his guardian sorted through his yen.

“-Kun,” Naoto corrected curtly, at which Yakushiji froze. He didn’t care that the child didn’t answer the question or was impolite, no, what worried him was how the conversation would continue.

“Huh?”

“Please don’t call me -chan, I’m  _ not _ a child,” he explained, a lot more meek than before. He tipped down his hat, a tell-tale sign that his nerves were getting the best of him, but Yakushiji had no idea how to help the situation. He simply prayed that Mrs. Shigeta didn’t say too much.

“But you are, Naoto-chan,” she explained gently. Naoto, peeved, stuck out his tongue at her. “Now that’s improper, dear, as is the way you refer to yourself! You ought to use ‘watashi’ instead of ‘boku’, you know.”

There it was. Naoto’s eyes widened, then watered, and soon his whole body began to tremble. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, probably trying to find words to defend himself, but he said nothing. He was too young to understand his feelings, Yakushiji figured, let alone express them to others.

“I’ll just pay for this and leave, if you don’t mind,” Yakushiji interrupted, seething with anger. He slid the toy set over the counter and slammed down a wad of bills. Mrs. Shigeta seemed to get the hint, but that didn’t stop her from shooting him a disapproving glare when she realized she was scanning superheroes and not dolls.

“Come on, Naoto-sama, let’s go,” Yakushiji whispered once he was finished paying. With a feeble nod, Naoto grabbed onto the man’s lower arm with both hands and scurried off with him. As the two fled, tears overflowed and dripped onto the hard pavement and dampened the concrete. The dark gray splotches on the ground trailed a path to a nearby bench.

“Up you go, Naoto-sama,” Yakushiji grunted as he lifted up the crying child onto the wooden seat. He sat down next to him and placed the toy set in his lap.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it, Naoto-sama,” he reassured as he pulled out a handkerchief from his chest pocket. “But you don’t have to listen to her. You can do whatever you want.” He handed the cloth to Naoto, who first wiped his eyes with it and then blew his nose. Once he was finished, he gripped it tightly in his clenched fist.

“I was just… I was just so sure that… maybe Shigeta-san would be the one to get it right,” Naoto sniffled. His tears had stopped, thankfully, but he was still stuffy. Yakushiji ignored the tight constricting in his chest and patted the child’s shoulder. He didn’t bother asking how he got that idea or what “right” even meant, instead trying his best to comfort him. It didn’t really help with the shaking.

Despite having gained new resolve, being a father figure was still difficult.

“O-Oh, how about this? I know I said you’d get a ranger for each time you came to the park with me, but you can have one now if it makes you feel better,” Yakushiji suggested abruptly, his voice cheery despite the lump in his throat. He quickly held the box of action figures upright and opened the top flap. He then pulled out the plastic packaging slightly, tugged the shortest ranger free, and handed it to Naoto.

“The blue one’s your favorite, right?” Yakushiji asked nervously. The last thing he wanted to do was to make the child feel any more distressed than he already was. Thankfully, Naoto erupted into a smile and began to beam.

“Yes! That’s Blue Swan, the smart one! Can I really have it now?” he exclaimed, making grabby hands at the toy. His eyes and nose were still a bit red but that was understandable. His joy was enough to relieve Yakushiji, so he nodded and handed it over.

“On that note, do you want to return to the estate now? I shouldn’t have forced you out when you weren’t up for it, this was my err. I apologize,” he sighed guiltily. Naoto didn’t respond immediately, he was too busy moving around the ranger’s limbs and making explosion sounds under his breath, but his gaze did harden. After a minute or two, he finally replied,

“I’ll still go,” Naoto kicked his legs back and forth, clicking his sneakers together every once in a while to create a flurry of light. “But to a park in the other town, not here.” He waved his action figure around in the air and pretended it was flying.

“You mean Yasoinaba?” Yakushiji asked, bewildered. The Shirogane Estate was on its own plot of land, though they ran errands in the neighboring towns that dotted the train line. “Always best to be close to a station in case the car breaks down,” the elder Shirogane would say. The three of them had always been more involved with the town to the east of the Estate, Kaminowari, rather than in the town to the west, which was Yasoinaba. The two towns shared an elementary school, though that was about it for their interaction.

“Uh-huh,” Naoto affirmed, still playing with the action figure. Requesting such a change, and so haphazardly at that, seemed almost out of character for him. He was a stubborn kid, after all. He must’ve been affected greatly somehow…

_ Shigeta-san’s words hurt that badly, huh? _

“Then to Yasoinaba we shall go, Naoto-sama,” Yakushiji announced, getting up onto his feet. He held the figure set with one hand and used the other to give Naoto a gentle push off of the bench. He hopped off with ease and acted out Blue Swan doing so as well.

“Since you’re in dire need of exercise, how about we walk there? Perhaps we can make a day trip out of it and then ask Shirogane-sama if he can drive over to pick us up once we’re done,” Yakushiji suggested to the young child, who nodded and immediately gestured to be picked up. He shook his head.

“Apologies, Naoto-sama, that defeats the purpose of going on foot. Besides, I am not strong enough to carry you all the way from here to Yasoinaba,” Yakushiji sighed exasperatedly, crossing his arms. He would not give in to Naoto’s requests that time, absolutely not. Not even if he made the same puppy dog eyes the family pet did. No way.

“Fine, you can get up here, but only for one block.”

One block turned into halfway down the road leading into Yasoinaba. They passed by Kamikanogawa and went through Kasugaichou and suddenly Yakushiji understood why the elder Shirogane always wanted to be near a train. He thought he could feel the tendons in legs snapping one by one as Naoto’s weight pressed onto his back. He let the child down once his knees started buckling and, by the time they saw the “Welcome to Yasoinaba” sign posted on the side of the road, Yakushiji felt as though he could cry tears of joy. Still, the two kept walking in search of a park.

“This road leads to…” He pushed down his shades and glanced down to the side. There was a turbulent river flowing by the foot of the hill. “The Samegawa Flood Plain, I believe it’s called. I think that counts as a park. I don’t think I can walk much more.” Naoto, noticing that the poor man was gasping for air, nodded.

“Actually, I think I see a place to sit over there,” Yakushiji panted, pointing forward. A little further down the road stood a gazebo with a black roof and a picnic table. There were already two people there, a middle-aged woman and a young boy, but the table was big enough for the four of them. Yakushiji began to walk over with an amiable expression when he realized nobody was following behind him.

“What’s wrong, Naoto-sama?” he asked. He jogged back over to Naoto, who stood stock still on the gravelly road. His gaze shifted quickly between his action figure and the young boy under the gazebo.

“Oh, would you look at that? I think that boy is playing with an action figure from the same set as yours. The black one, if these old eyes aren’t failing me,” Yakushiji whispered happily, crouching down to Naoto’s level. He gently put a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s… Um, that’s… Black Condor,” the child managed to respond, even if it was only about the show he liked. “He’s cool, I guess, but not as cool as Blue Swan.” He began to rapidly twirl around the limbs of his action figure, getting all riled up. Yakushiji huffed triumphantly.

“This is the perfect opportunity for you, then! Go on, ask him if you can play,” he suggested, giving Naoto a light nudge. However, the child suddenly grew downcast again. He lifted Blue Swan to his head, using the extended arm to tip his cap.

“I’m not the best at talking to others,” Naoto mumbled meekly. Yakushiji took note of how particular his words were, intended not to show weakness. He couldn’t help but chuckle at that. The kid was just shy.

However, a realization set in. The point of taking Naoto to the park was to help him socialize, so his reluctance meant that Yakushiji was back at square one. He glanced over at the child, who’d gone back to playing by himself, and racked his brain for a solution. He knew that Naoto was rigid, so telling him he was limiting himself by saying “I can’t” wouldn’t work. Yakushiji’s brow furrowed and furrowed until, finally, his eyes widened.

“Naoto-sama, do tell me, is Blue Swan good at talking to others?” he asked politely. He didn’t make the child look at him, as he hoped it’d catch his attention. As expected, Naoto perked up.

“All the rangers are,” he answered, “Their job is to help people, so they need to be good at talking to them.” He poked the toy’s face with a pensive look.

“So why not pretend  _ you’re  _ a ranger?” Yakushiji suggested. He pointed at the boy under the gazebo, who was smacking a Demon Robot figure with his Black Condor figure. “He looks like he could use the extra manpower.” Naoto gazed intently at the boy for a while, tightening his fist around Blue Swan. Yakushiji never quite knew what went on in that little mind of his, though he hoped the child was considering the suggestion. Naoto had an imagination so active that he thought of everything in life as a mystery worth solving, after all.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Yakushiji saw colorful and flickering lights sweep across the gravel. It was from Naoto’s sneakers, which had activated now that he was on the move. His stiff legs gradually moved forward, step by step, until he broke into a run.

“Wait for me, I want to sit down as well,” Yakushiji called, now being the one that had to catch up. With the last of his strength, he went over to the gazebo and fell onto the bench. He awkwardly waved to the woman he’d collapsed next to and carefully watched as Naoto approached the young boy across from them.

“Blue… Blue Swan, reporting for backup…” Naoto muttered weakly as he kneeled up onto the seat and placed his action figure on top of the picnic table. He slid Blue Swan across the splintered wood and toward the boy’s Black Condor and Demon Robot figures. That seemed to catch his attention.

“Huh? Uh, okay,” the boy replied. He fidgeted for a moment, his cropped dark bangs swishing across his forehead, before using Black Condor’s arm to punch the Demon Robot figure toward Naoto in return.

“Your turn,” the boy commanded, “Come on, fight!” He indignantly narrowed his beady eyes, the mole beneath his left one inching upward as he scrunched his cheeks. Naoto shuddered but persevered. He extended Blue Swan’s leg and gently kicked the Demon Robot figure. However, to show that it was an effective attack, he made an explosion sound. Yakushiji chuckled as he watched Naoto’s lips purse.

“Yeah, get ‘em!” the boy cheered as he swung his Black Condor figure around for a follow-up attack. He smacked the Demon Robot with such gusto that it fell face down on the table. Naoto beamed and put his Blue Swan figure right on top.

“The enemy has fallen,” Naoto exclaimed as he made Blue Swan hop around on top of the Demon Robot figure. “Let’s finish it off!” He looked to the boy, who nodded and moved Black Condor to do the same. Together, they let out a battle cry and made their figures stomp all over the Demon Robot. Their yelling, however, quickly morphed into laughter.

“I’ve never seen my Micchan this lively,” the middle aged woman finally spoke up, thus identifying herself as the boy’s mother. She turned to Yakushiji and gave him a courteous smile. “And I’ve never seen you around here. Did you just move?”

“Ah, no, we’re from the neighboring town,” Yakushiji explained, shaking his head. The woman nodded and looked back toward the children. Naoto and the boy had since run off into the grass, pretending that Blue Swan and Black Condor’s next mission was to investigate the bugs hidden there.

“I’m glad you and your son came by today,” the woman continued. Yakushiji didn’t refute her assumption, seeing as there weren’t any inconsistencies. When he looked over at Naoto, a warm and fuzzy feeling welled up in his chest. It made him crack a genuine smile that belied his usually stern visage.

“As am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my self-indulgent fic! I say this because I basically just tossed Naoto into a bunch of situations I was in growing up. This all stemmed from the line in the Persona 4 Club fan book where Naoto says that he considers Yakushiji to be like family and, well, I got a bit carried away with it. Found family is my jam.


End file.
